Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. We are hearing that the number of special education teachers has increased and that the allocations are increasing but I am telling him that this is not the reality on the ground. The fundamental point is that schools are being punished for doing their job correctly and for improving numeracy and literacy. We need to go back to taking account of those complex needs.

In my last two minutes of speaking time, I want to raise two very related issues.

One relates to the spaces available in the secondary school in Bantry for children who need to go to an autism or special education class. What we are hearing on the ground is that those spaces are maxed out for 2024, 2025 and even 2026. Children are being sent to places like Skibbereen and Schull, a good 30- to 40-minute journey from Bantry. Will the Minister of State look into that, get some detail on the issue and see if a solution can be found?

On a second issue, the same schools that are facing challenges arising from cuts to special education teaching hours are also facing challenges arising from cuts to the ancillary grant. I appreciate that this does not relate to special education but the ancillary grant has been cut for many schools. That makes sense because secretaries are now included on the payroll but that ancillary grant is very important for caretakers and cleaners and to meet many of the basic costs of running a school. Schools are having to go to people with cap in hand and to raise money for these basic services. The ancillary grant has been cut by so much that these schools are now struggling to pay caretakers and cleaners to keep the school buildings clean and hygienic. I would really appreciate it if the Minister of State could take the message that this is an issue schools are facing back to the Minister for Education.

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